Stone Fox

Stone Fox is an excellent novel about a young boy named Willy, who enters a dog sled race in order to raise money and save his grandfather's land. Willy and his dog Searchlight face numerous perils in this adventure as they are the underdogs against the undefeated competitor Stone Fox.  The story is very compelling.  However, there needs to back a foundation set before reading this text about the setting.  This story would need some assistance from the social studies classroom, as it involves citizenship and Native American issues.

After reading this for the second time in my life with about 15 years in between all I can say is what a story.  I chose this novel because of the disgust my mind had for it since I read some time late in my elementary years.  How could I be so naive?  If anything it may have just been the author's writing style or maybe the dreary ending to the story that caused me, in my youth, to dislike this novel.  The ending of the story is tough to take and if you are giving this book as a novel for the class to read, be sure to warn your students of the happenings at the end of the story. 

 

Brain Juice: Science, Fresh Squeezed!

As a student who has a reading history haunted by poetry I was actually quite excited to find a poetry collection that made interdisciplinary connections.  Carrol Diggory Shields, the concoctor of this collection did an excellent job of making tough science subjects interesting and fun through the use of rhyme and rhythm.  Some poems actually include instructions to include live music while performing.  This collection can be used well in multiple facets from the science classroom to the music room.

The poems use technical scientific language, but are written cleverly and poetically, which allows for a lesson in science as well as poetry.  The collection covers multiple subject areas including Earth Science, Chemistry, Physics, and the Life Sciences.  Due to the scientific nature of this book, it is most useful for upper level students.  However, poems can be read aloud to primary students.  For example, there is a poem titles Roy G. Biv, which covers the colors of the spectrum.  This poem would be a great to read aloud to kindergarten students. 

There are many uses to this poem collection.  There are also similar collections that teach English and American History.  These collections would make great use in any classroom.

"Red and orange and yellow.
Streaks of green and shades of blue
Indigo and violet, too."